Ledger tray



F eb. 20, 1934.

C. F. WOLTERS LEDGER TRAY Filed Jan. 12, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 1 J4 J .9l s ,e1 JJ fr n w 64 6J f (ZE-9g INVENToR ya rZF/l/alerf A BY @0MM v; i'ATTORNEYS Feb. 20, 1934. c. F. WOLTERS LEDGER TRAY 3 Sheets-Sheet v 2Filed Jan. l2

-xNvENToR #MATTORNEYS Feb. zo, 1934,

cg F. woLTERs LEDGER TRAY Filed Jan. 12, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 OO OOOOlNvENToR CarlZB'Yh/alem 'ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 2o, 1934 TES PATENTOFFICE LEDGER TRAY Carl F. Wolters, Marietta, Ohio, assigner toRemington Rand Inc., Buffalo, N. Y.

vApplication January 12, 1932. Serial No; 586,251

16 Claims.

This invention relates to filing devices and especially to that class ofsuch devices known as ledger trays, having means for firmly holdingiiled ledger cards, papers, or folders in substantially uprightposition.

More particularly structure having a movable toward the the inventionrelates to a front compressor member rear of the tray to compress thefiled matter and movable in an opposite direction to release the matterfor examination or making entries thereon. An adjustable back stop iscarried by a slide member upon which the tray contents rest, the slidemember being automatically moved rearwardly upon movement of thecompressor member from compressing position, so thatv the space allowedfor examination of and making ent materially augmented.

The back stop is ries on the iiled matter is adjustable to the slidemember, it engaging a guide member capable of disposition in severalpositions relative to sides of the tray. The lateral adjustment, whichpermits of shifting the tray contents from side requirements during toside to meet the various use of the device, is accomplished by meansv ofa rod which retains and guides the guide member, extendinglongitudinally of the tray and being susceptible of selective insertonintovany of a plurality of recesses in the front of the tray.

These and other objects and advantages, in-

cluding those inherent in the novel arrangements and features ponentparts of the from the following embodiment of the accompanying draw Fig.1 is a plan v ative position in which the contents are compressedbetween the rear stop;

of construction of the comdevice, will become apparent description ofthe typical invention illustrated in the ings, wherein:

iew of the device in inoperoompressor member and the Fig. 2 is alongitudinal vertical section through the device in the position shownin Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section similar to Fig. 2 but show ingthe device in operative member; and,

Fig. 'I is a perspec tive view depicting the front laterally relativevstructure of the tray with the front bracket, the compressor and theoperating mechanism therefor being removed.

As shownA in the drawings, the tray may include a bottom section lhavinga central channel, with base 11 and-vertical walls 12 and 13, extendingfrom the .front to the rear thereof. Depending ilanges 14, at the sidesof the bottom section, abut the side walls and inturned bottom flangesl5, of side walls 16 and may be secured thereto inl any suitable manneras by welding. l

A front wall section 17, having ahand opening 18, has rearwardlyextending side flanges 19 secured to theside walls 16 and a bottom ange21 secured to the bottom section 10. 'llhe upper edge 22 of iront wallsection 1'7 is rearwardly and thence downwardly extended to engage areinforcing strip 23 secured to the upper edge of anV inclinedreinforcing plate, 24 having forwardly extending side flanges 25. Thelatter have ears 26 at the bottom thereof secured to bottom section 10by screws 27. Access to the screws maybe had through openings 28 formedin plate 24.

The rear wall section of the tray is similar to the front wall sectionand comprises a section 29 having a hand opening 31, forwardly extendingside flanges 32 secured to side walls 16, and -a bottom ange 33 securedto bottorn` section 10. Reinforcing plate 34 has a bottom fiange 35secured to the bottom section 10 and an upper marginal portion 36secured to a reinforcing bar 37 which is secured in and extends throughthe channelled upper portion 38 of the rear wall section.

A bottom plate or slide member 39 is seated in the channel of the bottomsection 10, and has upstan'ding portions 41 engaging and guided byvertical walls 12 and 13 oi.' the channel. Laterally extending portions42 of the slide overlie the horizontal marginal portions of the bottomsection and are roughened on their exposed surfaces, as indicated at 43,to prevent slippage of ledger cards or other led material, 44, restingthereon. Flanges 45 and 46 extend upwardly from the front and rearedges, respectively, oi.' the slide.

Held against longitudinal movement between .flanges 45 and 46 and havinglateral movement between walls 12 and 13l is a channel-shaped guidemember 47 having parallel rows of aligned openings 48 in, the bottom webthereof and having inturned anges 49 extending from the side walls 50thereof. The latter are cut away adjacent the forward end of the guidemember and a U-shaped member 51 is there secured across the forward endof the guide member, for a purpose to be hereinafter described. An anglemember 52 is secured along the rear end of the guide member.

A, plurality of longitudinally aligned openings 53 are formed in frontwall section 17 and rear reinforcing plate 34 for receiving a guide rod54, the forward end of which has a knob 55 and a threaded portion 56,the latter for threaded engagement'with either of openings 53 in thefront Wall section. It will be understood that, upon removal, the rod 54may be extended through either of the pairs of aligned openings, beingsubstantially central of the tray in one position and being closer toone or the other side of the tray in the other position. A plurality ofnotches, aligned with the openings are provided in the flanges 45 and 46of the bottom slide 4member 39. Central notches 55 and 56',respectively, are formed in the U-shaped member 51 and the angle member52 for passing the rod 54. Accordingly, the latter will serve toretainthe guide member 47 against lateral movement and will further aidthe walls 12 and 13 of the bottom section in guiding the bottom slideThe guide member 47 may be shifted laterally by removing the rod andwill be held in such lateral position upon reinsertion of the rodthrough other of the openings 53. In the illustrated embodiment. thealigned openings 53 are so positioned that the notches 55 will bealigned with them when one side 50 of guide member 47 abuts a wall 4l ofthe bottom slide, this facilitating the replacement of the rod 54 afterlateral.shifting of the guide member.

Removably mounted upon the guide member 47 for movement longitudinallyof the tray is a back stop or follower 6l, comprising an upstanding wall62 incliningrearwardly from its bottom to its top, and a horizontal baseportion 63 extending above flanges 49 of the guide member and portions42 of the bottom slide. ber 64 having lateral runners 65 engaging theguide 47 between the base and the flanges 49 thereof, normally retainthe back stop in place. As shown in Figs. 2 and 4, the flanges 49terminate short of the rear edge of guide 47 to permit of disengagementof the runners therefrom, thus permitting of removal of the back stopfrom the tray. Latch 66 having a handle 67 is pivoted to the back stopat 68, the latch being normally urged into openings 48 inthe base of theguide member by a spring 69. Upon movement of the handle, the latch isdisengaged from the openings to allow movement of the back stoplongitudinally of the tray.

Front compressor member 71 includes-a plate 72 having a rolled upperedge 73 and forwardly and thence inwardly extending side flangesl 74.Sections 75 having vertical, inwardly facing channels 76 are secured tothe forward face of plate 72. At the lower edge of the plate is a flange77 securing bottom flanges 78 of the sections 75. Fingers 79 depend fromthe front stop for pivotal engagement in openings 81 formed in thebottom section 10, being retained therein by cotter pins extendingthrough openings 82 in the fingers.

An actuating plate 83 has an upwardly struck portion 84 carrying ahandle 85 and forwardly extending arms 86 carrying pins 87 with rollers88, the rollers engaging the rear walls of channels 76.and the pinsengaging the front walls of the Memchannels. The rear edge of the plateis hinged, by a pin 89 to a leaf 91 affixed to plate 24 of the frontwall assembly of the tray. Upon movement upward of the plate 83 abouthinge pin 89, the pins 87 and rollers 88 will move'in the channels 76 tocarry the front stop 71 from the position shown in Fig. 2 to that shownin Fig. 3. Stops 92 in the channels limit downward movement of theactuator plate to the position shown in Fig. 2 where it is substantiallyat right angles to front stop 71. Accordingly the latter can not bemoved except upon the application upwardly of pressure to the actuator.

A bracket 93 having an elongated slot 94 is carried by the compressormember. Movably engaged in the slot is a pin 95 carried by a lever 96that is pivoted at 97 to a U-bracket 98 affixed to the front wallassembly. The lower end 99 of the lever engages in the U-shaped member51 of the bottom slide, the end 99 being bifurcated to allow it toextend over the rod 54.

As the compressor plate is moved about pivot fingers 79 from theposition shown in Fig. 2 to that of Fig. 3, the lever 96 will haveangular counter-clockwise movement, as the device is herein illustrated,thereby moving the bottom slide 39, and the guide member 47 and backstop 61 carried thereby, rearwardly, or to the right as the device isillustrated.

In service, ledger cards, or similar filed matter, 44, will rest uponthe roughened surfaces 43 of the bottom slide portions 42|and willincline rearwardly to rest upon the back stop 61.

When the tray is not in use the back stop will be in such position,relative to the front and rear i walls of the tray, that the compressorplate, in

-the position shown in Fig. 2, will compress the filed matter and thushold it against displacement. Designations of the subject matter,placedv on the foremost or rearmost card, may be observed throughopenings 101 and 102 in the com- .pressor and rear stop respectively,without moving the latter. Toexamne the tray contents, the handle 85 islifted, thereby swinging the compressor plate forwardly andsimultaneously moving the back stop and bottom slide to the rear. Theille contents will thus be decompressed and ample space will be providedfor examining or making entries.

When the guide member 47 and the rear stop 61 are disposed centrallybetween the tray side walls 16, as shown in Fig. 1, ledger cards may beoffset laterally to both sides during a posting or like operation. Ifthe operator wishes to offset the cards laterally to one side only anddesires to offset to a greater distance than can be accomplished withthe parts in the position of Fig. 1, the guide member 47 and back stop61 may be moved to one side or the other, to a position such as shown inFig. 4, by removing rod 54, as I hereinbefore described.

It will be understood that the particular structurey herein describedand illustrated is merely one representative embodiment of theprinciples of the invention, which may be utilized in other deviceshaving other structural characteristics and arrangements, all within thepurview of this invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a filing device, a tray having a bottom,

tudinally of the slide member and normally movable therewith,l saidfollower inclining upwardly and rearwardly, a compressor member pivotedvtom, a slide overlying the bottom and movable longitudinally of thetray relative to the bottom, a follower carried by the slide andcooperating parts thereon, a compressor adjacent the front of the tray,said compressor being mounted for vmovement toward the rear of the trayto compress rthe contents thereof against the follower and movementtoward the front of the tray to release the contents, and meansconnecting the compressor with cooperating parts on the slide for movingthe slide and follower toward the rear f of the tray when the compressoris moved in the opposite direction.

3. In a filing device, a tray having bottom and front walls, a slideoverlying the bottom wall and movable longitudinally of the trayrelative to the bottom wall, a compressor member adjacent the front ofthe tray mounted for movement toward and away from the rear of the tray,a lever pivoted medially of its ends to a front portion of a tray, oneend of said lever having articulated connection with cooperating partscarried by the slide and the opposite end having articulated connectionwith the compressor.

4. In a filing device, a tray having bottom and front walls, a slideoverlying the bottom wall and movable longitudinally of the trayrelative to the bottom wall, a compressor member pivoted to the tray ona pivot axis adjacent the bottom wall, a substantially upright leverpivoted medially of its ends to a front portion of the tray, said slidehaving parts thereon providing a recess receiving the lower end of saidlever, and an articulated connection between the upper end of the leverandthe compressor member,

5.- In a filing device, a tray having bottom and front walls, a slideoverlying the bottom wall and movable relative thereto, a compressormember pivoted to the tray on a pivot axis adjacent the bottom wall, asubstantially upright lever pivoted medially of its ends to a frontportion of the tray, the lower end of the lever having an articulatedconnection to cooperating parts carried by the slide, a pin extendingthrough the upper end of the lever, and said compressor member having aportion with an elongated slot slidably receiving said pin.

6. In a filing device, a tray having bottom and front walls, a slideoverlying the bottom wall and movable relative thereto and carryingcooperating parts, a compressor plate having a depending tongue, saidbottom wall having a recess receiving said tongue whereby the compressormay be moved angularly about an axis substantially coincident with therecess, a lever pivoted to a xed portion of the tray, said lever havingarticulated connections with cooperating parts mounted on the slide andcompressor plate.

'7. In a filing device, a tray having bottom and front wall portions, aslide overlying the bottom wall portion and movable relative theretolongitudinally of the tray, a compressorV plate pivoted to the trayadjacent the front bottom portion thereof and adaptedy to reclineagainst the front wall portion and to'` be held in such position bygravity,` an actuating member having one end pivoted to the front wallportion and having its opposite end slidably connected to the compressorplate whereby upon downward movement Iof the actuating member about itspivot axis the compressor plate will be moved to a reversely inclinedposition or position of inclination away from the front wall, thecompressor plate and actuating member being disposed at substantiallyright angles 'to each other when the compressor plate is in reverselyinclined position, whereby the compressor plate may be retained in suchreversely inclined position until the actuating member is moved upwardlylabout its pivot axis, and means connecting the compressor plate andslide for moving the .latter toward the rear of the tray upon movementof the compressor plate toward the front wall portion.

8. In a filing tray, a horizontal bottom plate, a vertical front platesecured to the front edge of the bottom plate, said front plate having areturn bent upper edge, a rearwardly and down wardly inclinedreinforcing plate having a part ,on its upper edge removably engaged insaid return bent portion and having horizontal flanges at its bottomremovably secured to said bottom plate, a compressor member pivoted atits bottom to said bottom plate and adapted to recline against saidreinforcing plate, a bracket secured to the front plate and disposedbetween the latter and the reinforcing plate, a slidemember overlyingand movable upon the bottom I:

plate, and substantially upright lever pivoted medially of its ends tosaid bracket, the lower endof said lever having an articulatedconnection to parts carried by the slide, and the upper end of saidlever having an articulated connection to the compressor member, saidreinforcing plate having an opening through which the upper end of thelever extends.

9. In a filing device, a tray having bottom,

front, and rear wall portions, the bottom wall l portion having acentral longitudinal channel therein. a slide overlying the bottom wallportion and having a central channel interfltting and guided in thefirst mentioned channel, flanges on the ends of the slide, a guidemember disposed` in the channel of the slide and having its endsabutting said flanges, a pair of spaced transverse flanges at theforward end of said guide member, a compressor member pivoted to thebottom wall portion for movement toward and away from the front Awallportion, means including a lever connected to said compressor andengaging between said pair of flanges for moving the guide member andslide toward said front wall portion when the compressor member is movedrearwardly, a plurality of transj versely spaced recesses in said-frontandv rear wall portions and the flanges on said slide, the

recesses in the wall portions and flanges being aligned. said guidemember having a recess formed ateach end thereof capable of selectivealignment with said aligned recesses in the wall portions and flanges onsaid slide, a rod removably extending through the aligned recesses ofthe wall portions, guide member, and slide, and a follower carried byand movable with the guide member.

10. In a filing device, a tray having bottom,'

tom wall for guiding its movement longitudinal- 1y thereon, a guidemember mounted for movement transversely oi the slide and `forlongitudinal movement with the slide, a follower carried by the guidemember and guided thereon for adjustment longitudinally of said guidemember, and means for retaining the guide member in any of a pluralityof positions relative to the sides of the slide.

11. In a filing device, a tray having bottom, front and 'rear Walls, aAslide overlying the rbottom wall portion and having means engaging saidbottom wall for guiding its movement longitudinally thereon, a guidemember mounted for movement transversely'of the slide and forlongitudinal movement with the slide, a follower carried by the guidemember and guided thereon for adjustment longitudinally of said guidemember, means for retaining the guide member in any of a plurality ofpositions re1- ative to the sides of the slide, said retaining meanscomprising a rod extending through openings in said guide member and anyone of a plurality of aligned sets of openings in the front and rearwalls.

12. In a filing device,'a tray having a bottom, a slide overlying thebottom and movable longitudinally of the tray relative to the bottom, aguide member provided with channel means mounted on said slide andmovable longitudinally therewith, a follower adjustably mounted on saidguide member, a compressor adjacent the front of the tray, saidcompressor being mounted for movement toward the rear of the tray tocompress the contents thereof and movement toward the front of the trayto release the contents, and means connecting the compressor and channelmeans on `said guide member to move said slide, guide and followermembers toward the rear of the tray when the compressor is moved in theopposite direction.

13. A ledger tray, comprising a container having a bottom, a cardsupporting member slidable on said bottom, a follower adjustably carriedby said card supporting member, a compressor pivotably mounted in thefront of said container for movement to rearwardly and forwardlyinclined ,positions and connecting means between the compressor andparts carried by said card supporting member, for moving said cardsupporting member and follower forwardly when the compressor is moved toa rearwardly inclined positon for cooperation to compress the contentsof said tray, and for releasing said contents from compression when thecompressor is. moved to forwardly inclined position by moving saidmember and follower rearwardly.

14. A ledger tray having bottom and front walls, a compressor mountedadjacent the front wall for llmitedrocking movement longitudinally insaid tray, a guide member longitudinally movable on the bottom of saidtray, a follower adjustably connected to said guide member and movabletherewith relative to' the tray, and means connecting the guide memberand compressor operable to move the guide member Aand followerlongitudinally in the tray when the compressor is moved in an oppositedirection, the compressor and follower cooperating to compress filedmatter in the tray when moved toward each other and to release saidmatter when moved away from each other.

15. A ledger tray having bottom and front Walls, a compressor mountedadjacent the front wall for limited pivotal movement in the tray, aplate member slidable longitudinally on the 'bottom of said tray, afollower adjustably mounted on said plate member, and means connectingsaid compressor and plate member operable to move the plate memberlongitudinally in the tray in one direction in the movement of thecompressor in an opposite direction.

16. A ledger tray having bottom and front walls, a compressor mountedadjacent the front wall no for limited pivotalmovement in the tray, acard supporting member longitudinally movable in the tray, a guidemember carried by the last named member and adjustable thereon laterallyof the tray, a follower longitudinally adjustable on said guide memberand movable laterally therewith in the tray, and means connecting saidcompressor to said card supporting member operable to move said cardsupporting member, follower and guide member longitudinally in the trayin one direction in the movement of said compressor in an oppositedirection thereto.

CARL F. WOLTERS.

